Photo. by me, 5.1.2019, Cambridge, Massachusetts
On May 1st, I had one of the most inspiring
conversations since the beginning of my scholarly research and studies on women
& gender (in postwar) architecture: While tracing “diverse and inclusive”
perspective in architectural archives and collections, I came across with one
of the pioneering women architects with her collaborative architectural design
practice, publishing endeavor and surprisingly, her civic and political engagement.
With her background in “philosophy”, “Mary” had
decided to be “an architect” although some people around her did not support “that
idea” at that time, and furthermore, she got into “the MIT-Architecture”.
(Class of ’56).
Responding to my e-mail, “she” (Mary Otis Stevens; 1928-present)
kindly invited me to her home to talk about her career, architectural design
practice, civic engagement, and publishing endeavor with Thomas McNulty, etc.
As one of the leading women architects in the US, Mary worked for the
Architectural Collaboration (TAC), established a partnership in architecture (1956-1969)
with Thomas McNulty, her spouse; took over social and public roles during the
anti-war protests in the 1960s-the 1970s; conducted her publishing career at
i Press in 1968-1978; established and worked for “the Design Guild”, a
collaborative practice for non-profit clients until 1991. Following the loss of
Jesse R. Fillman, her second spouse, she focused on music and her compositions…
Unlike the dominant mindset at MIT that is usually characterized
by technological aspect of architecture, its masculine dimension or its
synthesis with other disciplines through technology, Mary has a very broad
perspective on architecture with a strong emphasis on its social, environmental
and civic issues. Being aware of the architect’s role in his/her community and
society, she worked on some architectural design and urban design projects to
reinforce social connections, cultural diversity, democracy and the
participation of citizens into city culture. Some of her projects, such as the
Linear Society (with Thomas McNulty, 1962-1963), the New City Project (with the
Cambridge Institute in 1969) can be regarded as radical design
understanding/philosophy not only for in the 1960s but even for today (This is
my comment after reading a few articles on her career history. However, I have
not conducted a research on her archive/collection): Proposing a
decentralization of the government functions, these projects were based on
non-hierarchical political order and participatory culture by citizens. Instead
of following establishment in architecture and urban design/planning in her
time, she preferred to explore new ideas with her colleagues as a partner, as a
part of a design team, as an editor, etc. Needless to say, most of women
architects in her generation were struggling to be “active, visible and
recognized” in their career during the 1960s-1970s; and it is still one of the
critical discussion topics for women architects how to be “an equal partner” in
their architecture…Within this picture and historical perspective, her
professional career in architecture, publishing and even in music deserve a
considerable attention to explore and discuss creative and social potential of
women&gender in architecture and today’s society that has been struggling
with gendered political “attacks”.
Lincoln House, photo courtesy of the MIT Museum.
Mary Otis Stevens & Thomas McNulty, 1970, i Press.
Thanks for "Women in Architecture" for their reference to my blog:
https://www.womenarchitecture.com/sources-1, last accessed on 7.14.2020.